Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

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Introduction

These exquisite miniatures paint four colourful scenes from the nativity story. O magnum mysterium is the most profound: slow and (by Poulenc’s standards) harmonically austere, it grows in intensity toward the final repetition of the main text, via an intimate verse in praise of the Virgin. The text of Quem vidistis makes two demands of the shepherds, set in contrasting ways by Poulenc. ‘Who did you see?’ is a cantilène accompanied by searching quaver movement; by contrast, the imperative ‘Speak … and proclaim the birth of Christ’ is a trumpet blast worthy of the annunciatory angels themselves. The crystalline refrain of Videntes stellam evokes a placid and (of course) starlit night, through which the Magi travel with burgeoning excitement; this reaches a rich climax as they enter the stable and present their gifts; outside the star shines on, undisturbed. In the final motet, Hodie Christus natus est, the faithful make their response to the news with unbuttoned exuberance: ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’ accompanied by popping champagne corks.

Recordings

Hyperion presents a delightful and unusual selection of music for Christmas from the Abbey Choir. It encompasses all the diverse themes of Christmas which have inspired composers across the ages: light shining in darkness; the tenderness of mother an ...» More

Stephen Layton and Polyphony continue to blaze a trail as great interpreters and dazzling performers of a wide range of choral music. Their recent disc of Bruckner’s Mass in E minor and motets was acclaimed as a benchmark recording. For their latest ...» More

How great a mystery, and how wonderful the sacrament,
that the animals should behold the Lord,
newly born and lying in a stable. Blessed be the virgin
whose womb was worthy to bear our Lord Christ.

Following the male-voice ‘Francis of Assisi’ motets in 1948 and the orchestrally accompanied Stabat mater of 1951, Poulenc composed another quartet of unaccompanied motets. Inevitably shaking off the austerity of the Lenten motets, his Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël instead are full of Christmas wonder and joy. New to these motets is the instruction for certain voice parts to sing with ‘bouche fermée’ (closed mouth, humming), providing smooth and gentle backing to more prominent lines. Poulenc also favours doubling of lines at the octave—and sometimes the double octave—as an expressive device, notably in Quem vidistis pastores dicite, and the mid-points of Videntes stellam and Hodie Christus natus est. Each motet has its own delightfully etched personality, and each is unified by the piquant harmonies, the carefully graded dynamic markings and regular, almost mechanical placing of rests to punctuate each successive phrase.

Poulenc’s text setting has a characteristic perversity, often stressing syllables that in speech rhythm would be unstressed. It isn’t quite as arch and anti-musical as Stravinsky brilliantly effected in the Mass and Symphony of Psalms, but it heads in that direction. One such case in the fourth Christmas motet is the recurring line, in a 5/4 bar, ‘Glo-ri-a in ex-cel-sis De-o’.

Who have you seen, shepherds? Speak,
and tell us who has appeared on earth.
‘We saw a new-born child and a choir of Angels
praising the Lord.’ We will speak of what we have seen,
and announce the birth of Christ.

Who did you see, shepherds? Speak,
and tell us who has appeared on earth.
‘We saw a new-born child and a choir of Angels
praising the Lord.’ Speak of what you have seen,
and proclaim the birth of Christ.

Who have you seen, shepherds? Speak,
and tell us who has appeared on earth.
‘We saw a new-born child and a choir of angels
praising the Lord.’ Speak of what you have seen,
and announce the birth of Christ.